Clamp for finishing shades



(No Model.)

L. DOLL. CLAMP FOR FINISHING SHADES.

Patented May 3, 1892.

I .i i

LN VEJVTOR el M M6 mif fm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS DOLL, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

CLAMP FOR FINISHING SHADES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,917, dated May 3, 1892. Application filed July 8, 1891- $erial No. 898,749. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS DOLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Finishing fihades; and I do hereby declare the followlng to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a clamp for finishing shades, which will inclose the end of the cross-piece, will clamp the shade above the cross-piece, thereby covering the end of the seam by which the pocket 1s formed, and will also clamp the shade and the fringe below the cross-piece, thereby covering the end of the seam by which the fringe is secured in place. It is of course well understood that it is a serious objection to all ready-made shades and to most shades even when made to order that the thread is simply cut without fastening at the ends of the seams, and as the stitches are very long it is quite common for the ends of the seams to rip, opening the pockets, and exposing the cross-pieces and leaving the ends of the fringe unattached, so that it will hang down in an unsightly manner. It will furthermore be understood that in order to be acceptable to the trade any device of this class must be so simple and easy to put on as to require but an instants time and must be so inexpensive as not to add perceptibly to the cost of manufacture. The objections stated are wholly overcome by the use of my novel clamps, which inclose the cross-piece, holding it firmly in place, and also cover the ends of the seams, so that it is impossible for them to rip in use. My novel clamps, moreover, give a very neat and finished appearance to the bottom of the shade and are so inexpensive as to render them desirable to the dealers as well as to the purchaser on account of the finish they lend to the shades, and especially to the purchaser on account of the durability of the shades and the certainty that the seams cannot rip.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aview of one end of ashade, having my novel clamp applied thereto; Fig. 2, an edge view of a finished shade; and Fig. 3 is a view of a clamp as it is blanked out from a sheet of metal.

1 denotes the shade; 2, the pocket; 3, the cross-piece; 4, the fringe; 5, the seam which closes the pocket, and 6 the seam which secures the fringe.

A denotes my novel clamp as a whole. This clamp may be made of any suitable material, ordinarily metal, and may be either plated or unplated. It is preferably given an attractive ornamental design-for instance, substantially as shown in the accompanying dlrawingsalthough the design of the clamp is not of the essence of my invention. The essential features are a central opening 7 of suitable size and shape to receive the cross-piece, upper clamping-arms 8, which are adapted to em brace the edge of the shade above the crosspiece and cover the end of seam 5, and also clamping-arms 9, which are adapted to embrace the edge of the shade and the end of the fringe below the cross-piece and to cover seam 6, by which the fringe is secured in place. The clamps are secured in place in anysuitable manner. I preferably provide the clamping-arms with holes 10, through which rivets or staples may be passed. A very simple and easily-inserted staple is formed by a strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself, the central portion forming a head 11 to lie on one side of the clamping-arms and the two ends being bent outward on the other side of the clamping-arms like an ordinary paper-fastener.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A clamp for fininishing the ends of shades,

consisting of a plate having a central opening of suitable shape and size to receive the crosspiece, a pair of clamping-arms adapted to embrace the edge of the shade above the crosspiece and covering the end of the seam by which the pocket is formed, and a pair of clamping-arms adapted to embrace the edge of the shade below the cross-piece and also the end of the fringe and to cover the end of the seam by which the fringe is held in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS DOLL.

Witnesses:

WALTER SNIFFINS, ALBERT A. NASH. 

